Premier League gameweek 4 statspack

The Premier League returns after the international break, with Sunday's North London derby this weekend's headline act, but there's plenty else to be excited about too.

Southampton vs Manchester United: Saturday 12:30pm

Manchester United are unbeaten in 15 meetings with Southampton, enjoying a record-equalling 9-0 victory during this period, while their most-recent defeat at St Mary's came in 2003.

Southampton have started a Premier League season with three successive defeats for the sixth time, previously doing so in '93, '97, '98, 2001 and 2012, actually suffering relegation in none of those campaigns. Twice before have they began a season with four straight loses, most-recently doing so 12 years ago, a sequence that featured a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Man United.

Having been beaten in Brighton, the Red Devils are aiming to avoid starting a campaign with back-to-back away defeats in successive seasons, having not done so since 1973 prior to 12 months ago. Meanwhile, defeat here would be the first time since Boxing Day 2015 they've lost three consecutive Premier League fixtures.

Ben Brereton Díaz has now featured in 17 Premier League matches without being on the winning side in any of them, equalling the competition record held by Marvin Sordell, and unwanted record he will break should the Saints fail to claim victory here.

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest: Saturday 3pm

Liverpool have won three successive encounters with Nottingham Forest, seeking to win on the spin for the first time in 39 years.

At Anfield, the Reds have won each of their last six clashes, scoring 20 times, with Forest winless in 24 visits, dating back to a 1-0 League Cup win in 1978, while their most-recent league victory on this half of Merseyside came 55 years ago, five months before the moon landing; it would be an astronomical upset if they changed that fact.

Mohamed Salah has been on target in all three Liverpool matches so far this season, seeking to score in the first four fixtures of a Premier League campaign for the very first time, which seems likely given that he's found the net both times he's taken on Forest at the City Ground previously.

Nuno Espírito Santo's side are currently unbeaten, while the Garibaldi Reds have not avoided defeat in their first four fixtures of a top-flight campaign since 1995.

Manchester City vs Brentford: Saturday 3pm

Manchester City are currently unbeaten in 45 matches at the Etihad in all competitions, with Brentford the most-recent side to defeat the champions on home turf, a 2-1 victory just before the Qatar World Cup, 672 days ago to be exact.

Pep Guardiola's side have also won each of their last 12 Premier League outings all by, at least, a two-goal margin, smashing the previous record.

Having left with the match-ball following the hammerings of both Ipswich and West Ham, Erling Braut Håland could become the first player in Premier Legaue history to bag a hat-trick in three successive matches; Ian Wright, Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and Håland himself, now twice, are the only players to do so in back-to-back games.

Brentford have not failed to score in back-to-back Premier League away games since April 2023 but, following a 2-0 reverse at Anfield, this could very much change as they return to the North West.

Fulham vs West Ham United: Saturday 3pm

Fulham smashed West Ham 5-0 when the pair met at Craven Cottage last December, before going on to complete a first league-double over the Hammers since 1965/66 with a 2-0 victory at the London Stadium.

Having beaten Leicester in August, Fulham are aiming to start a top-flight season with back-to-back home wins for the first time in 12 years.

On the flip side, following a 2-0 win at Selhurst Park, West Ham are aiming to win their first two away matches of a Premier League for the first time since 2015.

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Ipswich Town: Saturday 3pm

These two last met in the top-flight in January 1983, when goals from John Wark and Alan Brazil saw Ipswich prevail 2-0 at Portman Road.

In Sussex meanwhile, the Tractor Boys have lost only two of their last ten encounters, the pair most-recently playing out a 1-1 draw at the Amex in 2017.

In the present day, Fabian Hürzeler's team have accumulated seven points from their first three Premier League fixtures, seeking to match the Seagulls' best-ever points tally of ten at this stage of a top-flight season, achieved in 2022.

Kieran McKenna's men got off the mark against Fulham last time out, although Ipswich haven't failed to win any of their first four fixtures in the top division for four decades.

Crystal Palace vs Leicester City: Saturday 3pm

Crystal Palace were winless in seven encounters with Leicester, their longest barren streak since 1973, prior to a 2-1 victory when the pair last met on April Fools' Day 2023.

At Selhurst Park, the Foxes have won only two of their last ten outings, including being smashed 5-0 in South London in 2018, which remains Palace's joint-biggest Premier League win, as well as Leicester's joint most-emphatic defeat in the competition.

Having lost 2-0 to West Ham, the Eagles are seeking to avoid defeat in their first two home matches of a campaign for the first time in six seasons.

Leicester boss Steve Cooper has never lost any of his three managerial meetings with Palace, winning one and drawing the two most-recent encounters.

Aston Villa vs Everton: Saturday 5:30pm

Aston Villa had won five successive clashes with Everton, the longest sequence either side had enjoyed since 1965, before failing to win either of their last two encounters, with the Toffees prevailing in an EFL Cup tie, before a dire goalless draw at Goodison in January.

At Villa Park in the Premier League, Everton are winless in five visits, losing four of them, scoring just one goal and conceding 11.

For a second successive season, the Blues have started with three successive defeats; they haven't lost their first four league matches of any campaign since 1958 when they began with six straight defeats.

Following a 2-0 reverse against Arsenal in their home-opener, Unai Emery's team are looking to avoid back-to-back defeats at Villa Park for the first time since February.

Bournemouth vs Chelsea: Saturday 8pm

Chelsea have won only one of their last four visits to Dean Court, including playing out a very uneventful goalless draw when they last visited almost exactly 12 months ago.

Bournemouth meantime currently have five points on the board, seeking to be unbeaten four matches into a campaign for the first time in their top-flight history.

Having smashed Wolves 6-2 at Molineux, the Blues could score 6+ in back-to-back top-flight away games for the first time ever, as unlikely as that is.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal: Sunday 2pm

The North London derby is the fixture in Premier League history with the highest ratio of home wins, (minimum 20 meetings) 48.4%, although none of their last three encounters have witnessed such a result.

In fact, following victories in both of the last two derbies played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Arsenal are aiming for three successive victories in N17 for the first time since 1988.

The last 12 league derbies have witnessed 42 goals, that's a goal every 26 minutes on average, with both teams scoring in nine of these fixtures.

Having scored in both encounters last season, Bukayo Saka could become the first Gunners player to score in three successive games against Spurs since Samir Nasri in 2011.

Meanwhile, new signing Raheem Sterling has scored in the Premier League against Tottenham at White Hart Lane and Wembley, now looking to complete the set; to date, only Jamie Vardy, and Aleksandar Mitrović have scored league goals against Spurs at all three of their recent home stadiums.

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Newcastle United: Sunday 4:30pm

In the 2019/20 and 20/21 seasons, these two clubs played out a sequence of four successive 1-1 draws, the longest streak of identical results any two sides have put together in Premier League history, although none of their subsequent six encounters have ended 1-1.

Having smashed Wolves 3-0 at St James' Park in March, Newcastle are aiming to win back-to-back league games against them for the first time in 13 years.

This is thanks, in none small part, to the fact that the Magpies are winless in six visits to Molineux, albeit five of these have been drawn.

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